The Justice Department said Monday it is seeking the forfeiture of $4.5 billion, cars and computers from the defendants, including BetOnSports PLC and three other companies.

BetOnSports Chief Executive David Carruthers and four other defendants were arrested over the weekend. Carruthers was arrested Sunday during a layover as he awaited a flight from Texas to Costa Rica, where the company has operations.

The 22-count indictment was unsealed Monday in St. Louis, where a federal judge also ordered BetOnSports to stop accepting bets placed from within the United States.

Several of the defendants live outside the United States, which will make them hard to catch, said U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway in St. Louis.

"This is a tough crime to prosecute," she said.

Among those who live abroad is Gary Stephen Kaplan, the founder of BetOnSports, which is incorporated in the United Kingdom and listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Trading of the company's shares was suspended in London on Tuesday. Shares of BetOnSports fell as much as 24 percent Monday following news of Carruthers' arrest, but they recovered to close 17 percent lower at 122.50 pence ($2.24).

In the fiscal year ending Feb. 5, BetOnSports reported a 65 percent gain in operating profit on continuing operations to $20.1 million. The company said it handled $1.77 billion worth of bets for the year, up 25 percent.

Kaplan is a former New York area bookie who moved his operations to the Caribbean after being arrested on gambling charges in New York in 1993.

Despite the move, the United States has remained Kaplan's main market, officials said. He is now living in Costa Rica and owns 15 percent of the company, according to the indictment. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Officials said those arrested include Kaplan's brother, Neil Scott Kaplan, who handled purchasing for the company. He was arrested in Fort Pierce, Fla. Two other defendants were arrested in Miami and another was arrested in Philadelphia.

Carruthers was being held in Fort Worth after he was detained while trying to make a connecting flight Sunday from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica. A federal magistrate ordered him held until a detention hearing on Friday.

Carruthers' first appearance in court Monday lasted about 10 minutes. He was led into the courtroom in handcuffs, wearing a lime green T-shirt with the words "World Traveler" across the front, faded jeans and gray suede shoes.

Tim Evans, an attorney who appeared on Carruthers' behalf, handed him a lengthy document, adding, "You won't have time to read it all, of course."

Kevin Smith, a spokesman for BetOnSports, said Carruthers and other company officials had no idea that there was an indictment.

"Certainly had they told us, we would have been more than willing to negotiate with them and work on whatever these charges are," Smith said. "There wouldn't have been any need to nab him while he's waiting on a layover for a flight."

Others named in the indictment include Kaplan's sister and several BetOnSports employees. The other three companies named in the indictment are based in Florida and handle promotional activity for BetOnSports.

The indictment charges Kaplan with failing to pay federal wagering excise taxes on more than $3.3 billion in U.S. wagers.

Authorities also charged that Kaplan's group fraudulently claimed that Internet and phone wagering on sporting events was legal and licensed.

Internet gambling has become a political issue in Washington.

Last week, the House passed a bill that would make it illegal for American banks and credit card issuers to make payments to online gambling sites. The bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain, in part because of exemptions granted for horse racing and state lotteries.

The american "sheeple" is a good description of the populace in the US today. When people follow leaders blindly, i.e.; the war in Iraq for instance, they truly are sheep. The current president even got the sheep to re-elect him based on fear and intimidation. This is the same government that is now trying to destroy our favorite activity on the web. Apparently if they tell us enough times that something is BAHHHHHD, the sheep begin to believe it. Time to stop following and start leading the charge against the nanny state!!

What's up with all this "Christian" crappola? Since when does ones religion have anything to do with it? Everyone gambles.
Buying or selling real estate is a gamble -- buying or selling antiques is a gamble -- pre buying propane, natural gas, electric, etc. for your home heating needs is a gamble -- buying or selling stocks, bonds, mutual funds is a gamble -- owning your own business is a gamble -- etc. etc. etc.

What's up with all this "Christian" crappola? Since when does ones religion have anything to do with it?

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I think you misunderstood my message. that's why i put Chistian in quotes. these are folks are using religion as a shield for their greedy, Machiavellian behavior. Other than putting on a good show, they have little respect for their God IMHO.

I agree, it has nothing to do with ones beliefs and everything to do with power and money.

Look at what Jack Ambramoff and what he was really doing.
On the public face of it Jack Ambramoff, a Hasidic Jew was working with and for the Christian Collation and the Republican Party, all of these folks were supposedly working to create laws to do away with all ‘evil’ gambling, but what was REALLY going on was Jack Ambramoff was taking money from the Native Casinos and using that money to bribe (I know that is a strong word, but it fits and he and some politicos are going/have gone to prison for it) officials in the government to block legislation favorable to online gambling. Ambramoff was doing this because the Native Casinos consider their main competition to be online casinos and what better way to beat your competition than to have them outlawed...

Not much different than what is going on now, a few elected officials who all have their pockets stuffed full of Native Casino dollars are trying to convince everyone that by outlawing ‘some’ online gambling they are protecting our souls from going to hell...

of course, before you end up in hell you should stop off at your local Native Casino or buy a
lottery ticket online or place an online bet on horse race for some “Legal/Moral Entertainment”... Yup, that’s sarcasm ...

And for those of us that don’t believe in a Christian Hell, well we are all just out of luck... So much for Freedom of Religion...

Well it can't be a moral thing, or they wouldn't allow horse betting and lotteries.

It can't be an "American Values" thing as you're allowed to own a gun.

It can't be "protection" thing as we're in the Land Of The Free which promotes freedom of choice.

It can't be a social problem thing as alcohol is still allowed.

It can't be a religious thing as religion preaches tolerance.

And it can't be a "learn from our mistakes" thing because prohibition didn't work the first time.

$o what on earth i$ it about then? I'm baffled.

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If you're saying it's about money, you're at least partly right.

The US has always reserved the right to license and regulate gambling within its borders, though. The internet makes it more difficult, but it doesn't change the reasons for regulating gambling in the first place. It also doesn't change the laws that regulate gambling in the US. It was never very realistic of the offshore sites to think they could ignore those laws indefinitely, imo.

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